Commentary: Alaska needs a hand-on governor

The man who coordinated the Alaska's response to the environmental fallout from this year's spring floods has resigned. Ed Meggert was frustrated because bureaucratic issues made the oil spill response slow and disorganized. Earlier this summer, the federal government told the state to stop taking new clients in programs that supply home care attendants for people with disabilities and intensive medical needs. The feds took that drastic step because state oversight of the program was so inept.

Well past the Fourth of July, the winter's accumulation of sand and gravel along state-maintained roadways and sidewalks in Anchorage still had not been swept up. The state contracted out the job and botched it. A new, underequipped contractor severely underbid the job, and work lagged because the contract had no benchmarks to ensure timely progress.

Three different state departments, all with a similar problem: They have trouble performing a fairly basic task.

The work falls within obscure or boring areas of government that Alaskans just assume will be take care of properly. Making sure routine government tasks like these are done is part of a governor's job.